Automatic control winding mechanism for clocks



Dec. 15, 1925- J.M. BONER AUTOMATIC CONTROL WINDING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKSFiled A1192. 9. 19

IN VEN TOR M5 GAL/5R ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o Fica.

JOHN MONROE BONER, F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL WINDING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

Application filed August 9, 1924. Serial No. 731,175.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic control windingmechanism for clocks, and it consists in the combinations,constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object ofmy invention is to provide an automatic control windingmechanism for clocks which is adapted to wind the clock withoutinterference with the normal operation of the clock.

A further object of my invention isto provide an automatic controlwinding mechanism for clocks in which the winding mechanism iselectrically operated and in which the weight for operating the clockmechanism is adapted to close the circuit to the winding mechanismbefore the clock has entirely run down, whereby the clock 13 adapted torun for a considerable length of time after the circuit has been closed,in case the source of current has been temporarily cut off, the clockbeing instantl wound as soon as the current flows throug the windingmechanism.

A. further object of my invention 1s to provide an automatic controlwinding mechanism for clocks which does away with the spring windingmechanism and makes use of a drum, a cable, and a weight, whereby theweight applies a constant force-upon said drum so as to turn the clockmechanlsm at a constant speed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawin s forming a partof this application in w ich:

The figure is a vertical section through the device.

In carrying out my invention I rovide a casing 1 which carries a clockmec anism,

indicated generally at 2, and a weight, actu-' ated drum 3 for turningthe mechanism The drum is of novel construction and is adapted to berotated by means of a motor R 4, and in turn to rotate the clockmechanism 2'controlled by the usual escapement mechanism (not shown).

The drum 3 is composed of a cylinder 4 that is mounted upon journals 5and 6. The

journal 5 is rotatably mounted upon a hollow shaft 7, while the journal6 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 8. As clearly shown in the drawings,the shaft 8 is received in the shaft 7 but is adapted to rotateindependently of the shaft 7. The shaft 7 is operatively connected tothe motor 4 by means of a worm 9 and a worm gear 10. A set screw 11connects the worm'gear 10 to the shaft 7, whereby the shaft 7 is 1'0-tated each time the motor 5 is .'actuated. The shaft 7 is mounted in thecasing 1 as is also the shaft 8.

The cylinder 4' and the journals 5 and 6 frictionally engage with eachother so as to have all three of these parts operate as a single unit.The adjacent edges of the ournals 5 and 6 are adapted to abut each otherand are provided with recesses 12 wh ch form openings in which a stubshaft 13 is mounted. The shaft 13 carries mitre gears 14 and 15, and isrovided with an opemng 16 therein throug which the shaft 8 extends. Themitre gear 17 is rigidly secured to the shaft 7 and is in mesh with thegears .14 and 15. In like manner the mitre gear 18 is rigidly secured tothe shaft 8 and is in mesh with the gears 14 and 15. It will be seenfrom this construction that when the motor 4 is actuated it will rotatethe gear 17 so as to cause the gears 14 and 15 to'rotate the drum 3'inan anti-clockwise direction, when looking at the figure from the righthand side thereof. This operation will at once be clear when it islearned the the shaft 8 is .held against anti-clockwise rotation bymeans of the clock mechanism 2 and therefore prevents the gear 18 fromrotating in the same direction. If the gear 18. is held stationary withrespect to the gear. 17, a rotation of the gear 17 1n the direction ofthe arrow will cause this gear to rotate the gears 14 and 15. The gears14 and15, being in mesh with the gear 18, will rotate around the gear 18so as to swing the stub shaft 13 about the shaft 8 as an axis, the shaft13 carrying the drum 3 therewith and rotating the drum in ananti-clockwise direction. The rotation of the drum 3 in ananti-clockwise direction will wind the cable 19 around the drum .3 andraise the weight 20.

The gears 14 and 15, 17, and 18 are so arranged with respect to eachother that the drum 3 may move so as to rotate the shaft -8 in aclockwise direction and keep the clock mechanism working, even when thedrum 3 is being wound up by means of the motor 4. The drum 3 of coursewill be rotated in an anti-clockwise direction when the motor 4 is beingactuated, but, due to the fact that the shaft 8 must continue to turn soas to operate the clock mechanism 2 during the winding operation, thedrum 3 will not be rotated in an anti-clockwise direction at the samespeed as if the shaft 8 were regarded as stationary. and not being ableto rotate in a clockwise direction, but at a mean ratio of the twomovements. The gears 14, 15, 17, and 18 in reality resemble adifferential, and thus permit the movement in the opposite direction.

As the drum 3 rotates in the clockwise direction it will unwind thecable 19 therefrom and cause the length of cable indicated by m to movein the direction of the arrow The cable 19 is. placed. between tworollers 21 which are mounted upon a carrier 22, the carrier, in turn,being slidably received in a groove 23 of a frame 24. A pm 25 is securedto the carrier 22 and is adapted to engage with an arm 27 when thecarrier is moved. The arms 26 and 27 are secured to a switch 28, which,in the present instance, is of the mercury type. The switch 28 comprisesa cylinder 29 in which the meronly 30 is disposed. Two terminals 31 and32 are disposed in the cylinder 29 and are positioned so as to have themercury cover 7 their ends when the cylinder is swung into the positionshown in the drawing. If, however, the cylinder 29 is tilted to the 0posite position, the mercury will flow to t e opposite end of thecylinder and therefore will break the contact between the terminals 31and 32. As illustrated in the drawing, the switch 28 is in closedposition and the motor 1 is being actuated so as to wind the drum 3. Asthe cable 19 is wound upon the drum 3 the length of the cable will bemoved so as to cause the pin 25 to engage with the arm 26 and to swingthe cylinder 29 so as to open the switch. This movement instantly breaksthe circuit to the motor 4; and therefore stops further winding of thedrum 3. The gear 17 is locked against rotation in either direction bymeans of the worm 9, which prevents rotation of the worm gear 10 ineither direction. lit will therefore appear that since the gear 17 islocked against rotation, all of the movement of the cable 3 will beimparted to the shaft 8 to operate the clock mechanism 2.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be readily understood. I have described that themotor 4 is adapted to wind the drum 3 in an anticlockwise direction whenthe switch 28 is closed. I have also shown how the weight 20 is adaptedto rotate the drum 3 in a clockwise direction so as to operate the clockmechanism 2 in the ordinary manner. The drum 3 is of sufiicient lengthto carry a number of turns of the cable 19. As clearly shown in thedrawing, when the switch 28 is closed there are still a suflicientnumber of turns left upon the drum 3 to continue to rotate the drum soas to cause the clock mechanism-to.

run for approximately six days longer. This safety {precaution isprovided in case the source 0 current to the motor 4 should accidentallybe cut off when it is desired to wind the drum 3. It is apparent thatthe switch 28 will remain in the position shown as long as the cable 19continues to unwind from the drum 3, and that as soon as the source ofcurrent is again established through the terminals 31 and 32 the drumwill be wound up so as to cause the pin 25 to again open the switch 28.This six day period, or unwinding of the cable 19 after the switch hasbeen closed, provides-a novel safety precaution against the clock beingaccidentally stopped. As heretofore stated the drum will be wound u anytime during the six day interval if t e source of current again flowsthrough the motor 4 during this period. It is obvious that this periodmay be increased by merely lengthening the drum 3. The device isextremely simple in operation and does away with the spring mechanismfor winding clocks. It is obvious that the weight 20 would exertsubstantially the same force upon the drum 3. no matter whether theweight is disposed close to the drum or at a considerable distancetherefrom. In this way the same force will be exerted upon the clockmechanism 2 from the time the drum 3 is wound up to its fullest amount,to the time when the drum again has to be wound up. The worm 9 providesa novel means for locking the gear 17 against rotation in eitherdirection and takes the place of the ordinary pawls which are usualllyprovided with spring actuated clocks.

I claim:

1. A clock mechanism comprising a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a drum,differential means connectingsaid drive shaft to said drum, and saiddrum to said driven shaft, said drum housing said means, means forrotating said drum to actuate said driven shaft, said last named meanscomprising a cable attached to and wound about said drum, a weightsecured to the free end of said cable, electrically controlled means foractuating said driving shaft, a switch for connecting said means with asource of current, said switch being actuated by the lateral movement ofsaid cable as said cable is wound or unwound from said drum.

2. A device of the type described comprising a drive shaft, a drivenshaft axially aligned with said drive shaft, a drum mounted on saidshafts, differential means connecting said drum with both of saidshafts, said drum enclosing said means, electrically controlled meansfor actuating said drive shaft, a switch for connecting said means witha source of current, a slide member for" controlling the movement ofsaid switch, a cable mounted upon said drum and adapted to be woundthereupon and unwound therefrom, said cable being opera-. tivelyconnected to said slide member so as to actuate said slide member assaid cable ismoved laterally with res ect to said drum when wound uponsaid rum or unwound therefrom.

JOHN MONROE BONER.

